We, six spinners, spent today with another member of our spingroup, and dyer Jolanda. We were going to use cochenille and indigo to dye wool. Here Jolanda explains a few things and she is weighing some mordanting stuff. Jolanda had already mordanted some wool, so that we could start dyeing right away.

De jonge poes van Jolanda was een bron van vermaak.

Jolanda's young kitten was a source of amusement.

De eerste wol, met cochenille, zit in de pan.

The first wool, with cochenille, is in the kettle.

Een tweede hoeveelheid komt hier uit het beitsbad, dampend en wel.

A second amount is leaving its mordanting bath, steaming hot.

Het eerste cochenillebad is klaar.

The first cochenille bath is done.

Ook het indigobad is klaar, de wol kan er uit. Spannend!

The indigobath is done as well and the wool can be taken out. Exciting!

Het is net hekserij: door invloed van de zuurstof in de lucht verandert de gele kleur langzaam in blauw.

It's like magic: under the influence of oxygen in the air the yellow colour slowly changes into blue